Forrest Beach QLD 4850
Forrest Beach sits 1,482 km from Brisbane CBD in Queensland, around 16 hours 55 minutes by car. Census data records 1,364 residents with a median age of 57 and a median household income of $48,620 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. Population grew 8.8% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $240 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,192. The area shows high coastal erosion risk. All 1 school within the town boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Forrest Beach a good town?
Forrest Beach scores a D (24/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit and community.
Mixed results
1 school · 1 above peer schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 13/100 · 1481.9 km · 1014 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $449K
Moderate bushfire risk
Fire 45/100 · Crime 41/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 57 · 1,364 residents
Liveability Rating
24 / 100 · Ranked #1003 in QLDEach bar is Forrest Beach's rank among QLD suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
Flood data for Queensland covers only the areas mapped there — a blank here is not an all-clear.
How do you rate the liveability in Forrest Beach?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
24 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataForrest Beach's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $449,000, roughly 22% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$449,000
Based on 77 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 99 days — median across 17 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 19 sales $430K
- 3 bed 41 sales $439K
- 4 bed 12 sales $590K
Land
$130,000
Based on 53 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 44 days — median across 11 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Forrest Beach are currently listed at around $640,000 on average. Based on 35 houses listed in the past six months.
$640K
35 houses listed in the last 6 months.
36 of the suburb's 585 dwellings (6.2%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Is Forrest Beach safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Forrest Beach sits in the moderate band, with 7 incidents recorded in 2025 — down roughly 61% on the prior year.
7 offences
61.1% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–20241 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 1.6 km
- Rate
- -0.02 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -3.2 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Forrest Beach, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Forrest Beach State School leads the pack.
- • 20 students in one school (avg 20)
Primary
Walkability
Forrest Beach is very car-dependent on foot — at 13/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Forrest Beach.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 740
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Hinchinbrook: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 4 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the town closely.
Forrest Beach is home to about 1,400 residents, with a median age of 57 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $49,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,364
Median Age
57
Median Household Income
$48,620/yr
Census Median Rent
$240/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,192/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$28,236/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
23.6%
Total Dwellings
585
Owner-Occupier Rate
76.6%
Houses
90.3%
Rental Stress
25.7%
Mortgage Stress
29.4%
Work From Home
4.7%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
9 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 8 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 132 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 78.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 89.3%
- Employment Rate
- 40%
- Completed Year 12
- 30.6%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
3 residents (0.2%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
3.4% of residents (45) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Brisbane (29).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,314 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,516 a year through Hinchinbrook based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Hinchinbrook
In the year to August 2026, 23 new dwellings were approved across Hinchinbrook. That mix is 21 houses and 2 units. Approvals are down 85.7% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this town: 19 to 75 homes
- In 5 to 10 years 9 to 35 homes
- In 10 years or more 6 to 20 homes
- No timeframe set 4 to 20 homes
Land the Queensland Government's residential land supply study identifies for future housing (9 parcels), by when it expects lots to be registered. Yields are published in ranges, so these are too.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Nywaigi People.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. Native title over this area has been determined.
Climate & Setting
from Ingham Composite, 13.9 kmHigh rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 8 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 1.4 km
- Annual rainfall
- 2,433 mm
- 112 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 32.4°C
- 13 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 14.8°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the town centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 4850, 9 of 10,339 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.8% (189 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4850, 2,718 rooftop-solar systems totalling 18.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 5,365 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 184 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$30,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
$30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, with no end date. IT DID NOT REVERT TO $15,000: the tier was due to end 30 June 2026 and the 2026-27 Queensland Budget (23 June 2026) continued it for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. This file carried a "due to revert" note until 2026-09-18 — it was never true, and a note predicting a change is not the same as a change. Cap is "less than $750,000" including land and contract variations — less than, not up to. New homes only: "There are no home owner grants for established homes."
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in postcode 4850.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Queensland Revenue Office
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $30,000 — see what qualifies with Queensland Revenue Office.
At $449,000 this is under the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $30,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Queensland Revenue Office.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Bob Katter Katter's Australian Party (KAP)
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bob Katter | 40.7% | 59.3% | +0.8 |
| 2022 | Bob Katter | 39.8% | 60.2% | -4.3 |
| 2019 | Bob Katter | 35.5% | 64.5% | +7.8 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Wayde Chiesa Liberal National Party of Queensland — elected at the Nov 2025 by-election, after the results below
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Nick Dametto KAP | 63.2% |
| 2020 | Nick Dametto KAP | 64.8% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Forrest Beach?
Every figure above is a town average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 1,364 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Forrest Beach to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Forrest Beach
Is Forrest Beach a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Forrest Beach is moderate (41/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Forrest Beach?
Forrest Beach has a moderate recorded bushfire history (45/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Forrest Beach a good place to live?
Forrest Beach has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (24/100), ranked against other QLD suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Forrest Beach?
Forrest Beach, QLD had a population of 1,364 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Forrest Beach, QLD?
The postcode for Forrest Beach, QLD is 4850.
How far is Forrest Beach from Brisbane?
Forrest Beach is 1,482 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 1014 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Forrest Beach?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Forrest Beach was $48,620 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Forrest Beach?
There are too few current rental listings in Forrest Beach for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $240, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Forrest Beach?
The median age of residents in Forrest Beach was 57 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Forrest Beach at risk of bushfire?
Forrest Beach has a moderate recorded bushfire history (45/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Forrest Beach?
There is 1 school inside the Forrest Beach boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Forrest Beach walkable?
Forrest Beach scores 13/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Forrest Beach?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Forrest Beach, Ingham Composite (13.9 km away), summer days average 32.4°C, winter nights 14.8°C, 2,433 mm of rain a year over 112 rainy days, and 13 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Forrest Beach?
First-home buyers in QLD may be eligible for $30,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by Queensland Revenue Office; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Forrest Beach belong to?
Forrest Beach sits within the Hinchinbrook local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Forrest Beach?
The average residential rates bill through Hinchinbrook is $1,516 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Forrest Beach?
Across Hinchinbrook, 23 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 85.7% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Forrest Beach in?
Forrest Beach sits within the federal Division of Kennedy, currently held by Bob Katter (Katter's Australian Party (KAP)).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2025–26
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2020–2024
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2024
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
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